'Love Island' is a money maker for contestants but just how much is time in the Villa worth?
You don't need us to tell you that going on 'Love Island' is a huge money-making opportunity. While they may only earn about £250 a week in the Villa, Islanders who enjoy a significant stint on the show generally rake in the dosh in the following months and up to a year after the show, with some of the more successful contestants lapping up earnings far beyond that.
Within hours of an Islander appearing on the show, their Instagram followers will go up by the thousands. That alone should promise them a few lucrative brand endorsement posts when they get out.
High profile celeb agent Matt Nicholls, who has taken many a 'Love Island' contestant under his wing after the show, told entertainment.ie that's it's all about the amount of time you can get on the show.
"The longer you stay in the show, the more time you have for the audience to get to know you and to build those all-important Instagram numbers," he said.
"It’s a good barometer of fame and of your earning power. The greater the following, the more potential customers and the greater fees can be commanded for endorsements such as eponymous fast-fashion clothing ranges as well as for one-off paid posts. I would fully expect the most popular Love Islanders to each make £1m in the 12 months after the show."
2018 winner Dani Dyer, who won the show with now ex Jack Fincham, has gone on to make a cool £1.7million after 'Love Island' thanks to the likes of a clothing range with In The Style, deals with Mark Hill Hair, a Christmas panto with dad Danny, a book and much more.
You don't have to win the show to make your millions though. Series two's Olivia and Alex Bowen, who are now married, are worth an impressive £4.4m. As well as modelling and presenting gigs, the couple secured a lucrative magazine deal for their wedding along with £50k from TLC. These two also have a joint clothing label called Exempt Society, which is expected to turn over £950k in the next two years.
Despite breaking up, 'Love Island' 2017 winners Amber Davies and Kem Cetinay have also secured well over a million since leaving the show. While season two's Kady McDermott has made a similar amount. 2018's Rosie Williams, who had less than three weeks in the Villa, claimed she'd taken in an entire year's worth of her previous salary as a solicitor within the first month of leaving 'Love Island'.
A representative from a leading Irish PR company told entertainment.ie, "It’s the long-term brand endorsements, clothing collections, books, work-out videos etc. where the real money is made."
"Some of the contestants like Dani Dyer have it down pat – teaming up with the likes of Suzanne Jackson for a line of false lashes, a clothing collection with In The Style etc. and building herself as a brand rather than jumping on any collaboration that comes her way.
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Research from ThinkMonkey in the UK has said the average 'Love Island' finalist earns £296,400 (€349,707) per month. The research also showed that the typical 'Love Island' finalist can charge up to £17,435 (€20,570) per sponsored post, with many finalists posting about 17 sponsored adverts per month.
The 2019 'Love Island' finalists earned the following estimated wage over the course of a month from sponsored Instagram posts:
1. Molly-May Hague - £399,000 (€470,760)
2. Amber Gill - £297,920 (€351,500)
3. Maura Higgins - £296,400 (€349,707)
4. India Reynolds - £192,280 (€226,861)
As you can see once more, winning isn't everything. Whilst Molly-Mae Hague came second in the show, she earns £101,080 (€119,259) more than the winner, Amber Gill, per month.
An online following is key for many brands to want to get on board with a celebrity. So what exactly do these Instagram brand endorsements look like? Well, some can be pretty cringe to be honest, but considering how much they can get per post, you can see how it's easy to sell your soul to a product.
2019 contestant Callum (remember him?) may have only had a week on the show, but that was probably because he couldn't wait to get back to his car air fresheners.
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And Elma too.
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Speaking about Love Islanders who leave early on, Matt Nicholls said: "It’s a crowded celebrity market and a week of exposure is not long enough to build a loyal following or sustained interest so I wouldn’t imagine there would be great riches for anybody leaving so soon."
"Although, if they have amassed a decent social media following they could still make money through paid posts."
Car freshener it is then.
"A luxury brand is less likely to want to be associated with reality stars," our Irish PR told us. "However, for affordable beauty brands, high street fashion brands etc. they would be perfect because they are glamorous and good looking but also relatable."
The likes of Boohoo, Primark and Pretty Little Things are a perfect match for Love Islanders with many going on to do modelling and clothing deals with the UK giants.
Longford's finest Maura Higgins has teamed up with both Boohoo and Ann Summers, and given that she is currently impressing on 'Dancing on Ice', her star power will no doubt see many more brand endorsements coming her way.
Nightclub appearances can also prove to be very lucrative for the blokes. 2018's Adam Collard took on a massive 61-date tour of nightclubs across the UK and Ireland, earning about £300,000 for his trouble.
Nicholls told us, "TV appearances can range from anything from a few hundred pounds for an appearance on a Daytime show to a five or six-figure sum if they get on one of the marquee series such as 'I’m A Celeb' or 'Strictly'."
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Our Irish PR also revealed that former 'Love Island' stars can cost significantly less to get on board with a brand than influencers in Ireland.
"We actually looked into hiring some of the ex-contestants straight after the show the year before last – we wanted to book Kem & Amber for an event and were surprised that the cost was about €3k or €4k for the two to do an event in Ireland.
"Flights and expenses were to be paid for as well. We were shocked because we had about €10k in mind for the activity and comparatively in terms of their stats – followers etc., Irish influencers charge phenomenally more.
"It seems in the UK they are booked so often for appearances etc in the months following the show that the agents don’t charge massive amounts, perhaps in order to secure more work."
While 'Love Island' sounds like a fast way to make a quick buck, it is also undoubtedly an incredibly overwhelming experience.
Matt Nicholls had some wise words to Islanders emerging from the Villa, "My advice would be to keep your old friends around you. Everybody will want a piece of you and the adjustment to the "new life" can be difficult. Vitriolic online criticism and hyperbolic flattery are both always just a click away so it’s important to meet with triumph and disaster and treat them both the same. Enjoy every moment, stay grounded, work hard, be pleasant to everybody."
However, if you do still want to do all that while still earning a shed load of cash, Matt advises Islanders to "carve a niche and focus on what you’re passionate about".
"It’s important to be known for something else other than the show to ensure longevity. Oh and most importantly, get a good agent of course."